Turkey’s STAR refining complex receives first crude shipment
Aug. 27, 2018
Downstream Technology Editor
STAR Rafineri AS, Istanbul, a subsidiary of SOCAR Turkey Energy AS—the Turkish arm of State Oil Co. of Azerbaijan Republic—has received the first 80,000-tonne cargo of crude oil for processing at its soon-to-be fully commissioned 10 million-tonne/year SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery (STAR) under construction in Izmir, Aliaga, Turkey.
The shipment of Azerbaijani Azeri Light crude arrived at the refinery on Aug. 3, SOCAR Turkey said in a series of posts to its social media account.
SOCAR Turkey Energy unit STAR Rafineri has received the first 80,000-tonne cargo of oil for processing at its soon-to-be fully commissioned 10 million-tonne/year SOCAR Turkey Aegean Refinery under construction in Izmir, Aliaga, Turkey. Photo from SOCAR Turkey Energy.
The $6.3-billion project, which has already initiated preliminary commissioning activities, is scheduled to begin full operations during this year’s fourth quarter, SOCAR Turkey said.
On Jan. 26, Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS (Petkim)—operator of a petrochemical complex with which the new refinery will be integrated—carried out a $500 million bond to become an indirect shareholder of an 18% stake in the STAR refinery, Petkim said in a May 4 release. SOCAR Turkey owns 51% of Petkim.
The STAR refining complex will include a 66,000-b/d hydrocracker, a 40,000-b/d delayed coker, a 28,000-b/d continuous catalytic regeneration reformer, as well as hydrotreating capacities of 20,000 b/d for naphtha, 26,000 b/d for kerosine, and 68,000 b/d for diesel.
The integrated refining and petrochemical complex is under construction by a consortium of Spain’s Tecnicas Reunidas SA, Italy’s Saipem, South Korea’s GS Engineering & Construction, and Japan’s Itochu.
